Church: Holway Old North Order Amish

Contact: R. Lipprandt
Email: bob@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Bontrager, Chupp, Harvey, Hochstetler, Lehman, Miller, Schrock

----Source: Medford Area Centennial Book, 1874 - 1974, Holway Amish, page 75

The Old North Order of the Amish Church Community has been part of the scene in Medford for at least 50 years. The folks who maintain the simple life without luxuries settled Southwest of Medford.

They do not choose to follow the crowd, including the rejection of the machine and electrical age. There is abstinence to use anything electrical on their farms.

They employ horses to till their fields and bring them to Medford to shop.

The Amish community has preserved the old craft of preserving foods and their needlecraft is in high demand.

Mr. and Mrs. Joe Lehman came in the year 1921, from Conway Springs, Kansas.

In the spring of 1922, the Joe Chupp family moved from Haven, Kansas.

In the same year (1922), the families of Mr. and Mrs. Noah Hochstetler and Mr. and Mrs. John Hochstetler came from Conway Springs, Kansas.

In March of 1924, Yost Hochstetler family, Harvey family, Miller family and Yost Miller family also moved here from Conway Springs, Kansas.

The three Hochstetler brothers were married to Yost Miller daughters.

In April of 1924, William Miller and family came with their son-in-law Ed Bontrager and family from Haven, Kansas.

Mr. William Miller was the first Bishop in this locality.

In 1926, Joe D. Schrock and family with Ed Schrock (single man) came here from Minnville, Oregon.

At the present time, there are four distinct churches and 79 families in the community.

The oldest member is Mr. Sarah Miller, who is 95 years old and was born on August 3, 1878.